SYMBOL ART "CITY OF GRAVES"

TOMBSTONE TOWERS

Surreal Symbol Art...Like terrifying
Tombstone Towers the buildings stand watch over the endless crowds.
With hordes of anonymous people moving in, around and about them, the
monolithic architecture emits a powerful presence directing the flow
on the city according to their impenetrable placement. As the
metropolis's routines spiral infinitely the towers become the gears
transforming the city into a factory manufacturing cold ideals.
Through a perpetual cycle of meaninglessness the crowds are
controlled by conformity continually filed down the production line
to oblivion.

I started making
this series of graveyard cityscape in the fall of 2000. These images
were represent the earliest example of the “Hey Apathy!” style
that I have continued to iterate throughout all of my artworks. Prior
to this series I had done a lot of experiments with colour and
figurative drawings leaning more towards a traditional comic book
style of works. My main influences were mostly graphic novels and
films such the works of Alan Moore and Neil Gaimen and old film noir,
Fritz Lang as well as the movies of Cronenberg and David Lynch. It is
interesting to me that I took many aspects from my beloved influences
including philosophical concepts and a Gothic aesthetic but chose to
produce a somewhat abstract series of ink drawings rather than a
linear type narrative. I had no real interest or background in fine
arts so I could never really figure out why I ended up doing large
paintings instead of focusing exclusively on comics or film.

Despite this
unexpected transition I immediately became attracted to the large
format drawing for it potential to do something not too dissimilar
from books and film. I got inspired by the idea of transforming a
real time environment in which the audience could experience the
imaginary world first hand. Like a narrative adventure on the page or
the screen, large drawings could also create such escapist sensations
if the could engulf ones entire periphery. In order to create such a
world I continued to produce this type of work for one full year with
plans for an exhibition that would feel like a stage or a set. As the
work progressed the installation also developed a minimal narrative
and I felt pleased with the new shape my attempt at story telling had
taken.

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EXISTENTIAL ART Read more about this entire series of nihilistic city scapes